Terrorist Plot
by luluhrh
Summary: Ed and Al have an argument. Ed goes for a walk to cool down. Just a harmless walk, right? Wrong. Walks can ruin lives. Ed finds this out... and vows to put things right again. Rated T for swearing and terrorism. Going to be very angsty, lots of sadness, lots of "THAT'S ED YOU MORON!" No specific point in the story. Brotherhood, canon pairings. Good luck! Love ya! lulu
1. Walks Are Deadly

**Hey... yeah. I was kind of ordered to write this... but it's a good idea, so I don't mind!**

**Thank you to Number Eleven is my OC for helping me come up with this!**

**It's really a very simple idea... but I'm not telling you what it is. You read it.**

**So prepare for the**

**Disclaimer:**** Yep. The disclaimer. Now I have a question for you: do you REALLY think I own this?**

**. . .**

**Yeah. I thought not.**

**NOW you may read the story, my peoples!**

**Ed's POV**

It was just another day. Just another boring, cold, dreary day in Central. I was out walking. Just going out for a walk.

What are walks for, really? Well, they're to calm down. They're to let off some steam. They're harmless, usually. They take harm away.

How could something so harmless ruin my life?

I'd had an argument with Al. It was pointless, really. He wanted me to slow down, to take a break from studying. I didn't want to. I wanted to get him back to normal fast. Al wouldn't stand for it. I needed my rest; I was resting for two people, after all.

It had escalated, and before I knew it, I was out the door. I heard Al call my name, but I didn't turn around. I just walked. Al didn't follow.

A harmless walk, so that I could calm down and apologize to him.

At least, it _was_ harmless.

Until the man stepped out from the alley.

Suddenly, it was filled with harm.

"Edward Elric?" the man asked, his voice dark and dangerous. He had an accent, strange and deep, making his syllables harsher, angrier.

"What's it to you?" I snarled.

The man narrowed his eyes. Light eyes. Pale, almost white in the darkness, glowing with some strange intent. "You are, eh?"

I didn't deign to respond, merely glaring up at the man (why did he have to be so damn _tall?_)

He sighed. "Really, I should think you'd be more cooperative, what with your friends' lives being on the line."

.

.

.

_What?_

"I'm sorry, care to run that by me again?" I asked, taking care to hide how my jaw had clenched, how my eyes had widened. I was sure I wasn't fooling anyone; my voice came out clipped and enraged.

"You heard me," the man replied indifferently.

I could feel my fist clenching, shaking as I desperately tried not to murder the man in front of me. "What the hell do you want?"

"Simple," the man said, his eyes gleaming in the night, two pale moons glistening in the dark. "I want you to not hurt me or my compatriots. I want you to speak of this to anyone. And," he said, smirking in a horrible, dark way, "I want you to disappear. I want you to pretend to be dead."

I felt the stones beneath my feet dissolve. They had to have dissolved. I was falling. No, I wasn't, I was standing out here, in the fog, in the mist, in the dark, listening to a man who wanted me to pretend to die. I had stumbled. That was all.

"_What?_" I asked, not fully believing him. "But... why?"

The man sighed. "You fool. You are the Alchemist of the People, no? You represent this country's hope for a better future." He raised an eyebrow at me. "Do you really not know how important you are to this country?"

I was frozen. The cold had seeped inside of me. I was made of ice, and I was cracking apart.

"While my men are skilled, I doubt even all of them together are enough to take you," the man continued conversationally, his tone light. "However, we do have people stationed outside the house of Pinako and Winry Rockbell, as well as the apartment of Gracia and Elycia Hughes. If you try to attack me and my men, my messengers run off to those men, and four innocent people die. Innocent friends of yours, Mr. Alchemist."

_Mr. Alchemist._

_Mr. Al-che-mist._

_Truth._

_This isn't Truth._

It wasn't Truth, just a man who knew how to manipulate people.

An entire country's spirit... crushed. In return for four lives.

Or those lives lost... and the people's spirits saved.

But... I couldn't just let them go. Not after Mom...

The man was smiling, his lips quirked in a way that said he already knew what my answer was. He was just waiting for me to form the words.

"You bastard..." I muttered, glaring into those moon orbs with all of the force I could muster. "Fine. I'll do it. I'll pretend to be dead."

The man clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Excellent choice, Mr. Elric! Go. Find a place where no one will find you. Disguise yourself. Because if you're ever found by anyone... if anyone finds out that you're still alive..." The man drew a finger across his neck. I knew what that symbol meant. Everyone knew what that symbol meant.

There wasn't any way out of this... not now, at least.

"Okay, Mr..."

"Abiden, Mr. Elric. Asoma Abiden, from Drachma. I suppose I'm what you'd call a terrorist."

This was all wrong. Al... Al would never get that apology, the apology that I had gone out to calm down enough to give.

"Okay, I'll find a place... up near Briggs or something..." I didn't let my voice shake. I had to stay strong. There had to be a way out, there just had to be...

"Good, good. I can get you up to that area."

I was pushed into a truck that was idling nearby, and we were off.

I stared longingly at the hotel Al and I were staying at. If only I were allowed to say goodbye...

No. No. I had to stay strong.

I turned away from the building where my little brother was waiting for me and stared ahead, into my unknown future.

**Al's POV**

Where was Brother? He'd never stayed out this long after a fight... It was usually only for a few minutes, but he'd been gone for over an hour!

_Maybe he needs more time to cool off,_ part of me thought.

_But it wasn't even that bad a fight!_ the other half of me protested.

No. He'd been gone too long. I needed to find him.

But... I couldn't do it alone. Central was a big place... he could have been far, far away by now...

With next to no hesitation, I stood up, joints clanking and clattering, and hurried over to the phone. I picked it up and dialed Colonel Mustang's number.

"Hello?" the Colonel asked, sounding sleepy and grumpy. "Who is this?"

"Colonel Mustang?"

"Alphonse?" Colonel Mustang sounded surprised. "What's wrong?"

"It's Brother. He's gone!"

"Gone?!" I could hear Mustang's panic, even though he tried to hide it. He had to be wide awake now. "What do you mean by gone?"

"We... We had an argument... and he left... He usually only stays out for ten minutes or so! It's been an hour and a half at the least, almost two hours, now!"

"That's not good," Mustang muttered, seemingly to himself. "Don't worry, Alphonse. I'll contact the team. We'll start searching immediately."

"Really?" I couldn't help but be excited. They were going to help! They were going to help _now_! This meant we could find Brother faster!

"Of course, Al," Mustang said, sounding surprisingly gentle. "No matter how annoying Edward is, he's still our friend. We won't let something like this slide."

"Oh, thank you, thank you so much!" I gushed, knowing I sounded like a fool and not caring in the slightest. All that mattered was finding Ed.

"Don't bother thanking us."

"But you-"

"We would do it even if you didn't ask us, Al. Ed matters to people, you know."

If I could smile, I would have. "I know he does. Still, I'll feel better if I can thank you."

I could almost hear the Colonel smile through the phone. "Okay, if it makes you feel better. Just remember that we do want to find him just as much as you do, and don't you dare think otherwise."

"I understand, Colonel."

"Good. Meet us on Turner Street. That sounds like a good place to start. Be there by 12:30."

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent. Night, Alphonse."

"Goodnight, Colonel."

I hung up the phone, my limbs trembling with suppressed excitement. If anyone could find Ed, it was Mustang's team.

_ #$%^&*!_

They couldn't find Ed.

We'd searched all over Central. It was dawn now. We'd been searching for five and a half hours straight. We'd covered every street, every alley, every crevice.

Nothing. It was like Ed had turned into smoke, or evaporated, or something. He was just... gone.

I wanted to cry, but I had no body to cry with. It wasn't fair. I needed to get these feelings of loss, of fear, or grief, out of me... but humanity's greatest cleanser, tears, wasn't available to me.

"We'll find him, Alphonse," Hawkeye said to me firmly. "We'll find him, even if it means searching all over Amestris."

I believed her. I believed all of them. They were prepared to do anything to find my brother.

That should have reassured me. Instead, all I felt was fear.

Ed wouldn't just disappear like this. Something was wrong, and I didn't want them to get hurt.

But what could I say that would deter them?

Nothing. They wanted to find Ed just as badly as I did. My bad feeling wouldn't stop them.

Something awful was going on.

I curled up into an armored ball at Turner Street, our rendezvous point, and let them search. They didn't bother me. Either they didn't notice or they were too caught up in looking in every possible place. Possibly both. Probably both.

And I just sat there and desperately wished I could cry.

**Ed's POV (again)**

It was five days after I'd left. Long enough for me to get settled. It was cold where I was, up in Briggs. I had made myself a name: Edric Edison. I was a shoemaker (something I accomplished easily with alchemy). I had dark orange hair, long and smooth, and had a habit of wearing dark glasses all the time. I wore neat, mature clothes and heavy outerwear; I couldn't stand the cold, it made my injuries from the war act up. However, I'd moved to Briggs for my own reasons. I was here, despite the cold, for my own reasons.

No one asked me what these reasons were. Oddly enough, Edric Edison was a whole lot taller than Edward Elric. No one really questioned my motives.

I was a cordial, mature fellow. Everyone liked me. Perhaps I was a bit intimidating, though, with my heavy limp and gruff tone (all faked). Perhaps some people kept their distance. Still, I had time.

According to Mr. Asoma Abiden, I had quite a lot of time.

I don't think it had quite sunk in yet when the news came. _The Fullmetal Alchemist has gone missing._ In order to throw them off the trail, we'd planted bloodied scraps of my lovely old uniform in the East. When they found that, covered in what really was my blood (I'd cut myself for that bit), they'd probably assume the worst. At least most of them would.

There were, of course, a couple of people who would, no doubt, through the proverbial wrench in the plans. Al. Mustang and his team. Teacher. Granny. Winry. If any of them came calling (especially Al, Teacher, and Winry), I'd be tempted to give myself up. That's why I had to remain under watch, at least for now.

Terrorists. Truth damn it, how the hell could I have gotten myself mixed up in a terrorist plot?

Well, according to Silvene Hartoff (my most frequent stalker), it was because of the effect I had on the people. I was just so damn important to them.

I sighed, sitting at my new table in my new house. It was comfortable, certainly, but it lacked a homey feeling. Besides, Al wasn't there, sitting on the couch, playing with the neighbor's cat, or even just standing there, silent and attention-drawing.

I was so close to figuring it out, to... a way to get Al's body back...

And now I would never...

Wait.

"Silvene? Gravor?" I called out.

Immediately my two bodyguards appeared in the doorway. Silvene, with her pale blonde hair, dark, deep eyes, slim figure, and elegantly lovely, distinctly Drachman features; and Gravor, tall, dark, gruff, with his sloping forehead and thick accent and constant scowl.

"Vhat? Vhat is it, Mr. Edison?" Gravor had taken to calling me Mr. Edison. I didn't mind. Honestly, he wasn't bad company, despite his odd habits.

"I have a favor to ask," I replied nervously, unsure of how they'd take this.

"What is ze favor, Edric?" Silvene asked, her voice light. She seemed to feel comfortable around me.

I swallowed. "When you... took me, I was trying to figure out a way to... help... my brother. He has a... condition. It's not impossible to cure, but it requires complex alchemy. I'd like to continue my research." I felt my throat go dry. This was the part I was nervous about. "And... if I ever finish it... could one of you... deliver it to him somehow?"

Silence.

"You have to pretend you killed me, of course. Send him the notes in a package or something, with a note like, "Here. A gift from your dearly departed brother. He cooperated if we promised to send this to you." Or something like that." I was rambling. "That should make them sure that I'm dead, and it'll save him. Is that okay?"

Still no answer.

Then Gravor said, "Ve'll haff to check vith boss..."

Silvene smiled. "But it should be alvright. Zat's a vairy clever idea, Edric. Zank you."

I sighed in relief. "No, thank you. As long as Al is okay, I'll be fine no matter what happens. As long as they're all okay..."

Gravor shifted uncomfortably, but Silvene just laughed lightly. "Of course, Edric. Zey will be fine, so long as you cooperate as you promised."

I stiffened. "I know."

Awkward pause. Then...

"What are your plans for this country?"

I didn't mean to say it. It just slipped out.

Still, Silvene nodded in understanding. "Zhese are your people, yes? Your homeland, your family?"

I gave a noncommittal jerk of the head.

"Well, do not worry, my friend. We will not harm zis country. We just wish to break ze Amestrian's spirits. Amestris... so young, so small... and yet you stand against ze might of Drachma and do not budge. Ze wall of Briggs... ze soldiers zere, zey taunt us. Ve vill not stand to be taunted, Edric. You understand?" When she got emotional, her accent became more pronounced.

"I understand." Of course I did; I hated being taunted, too.

"Good." Silvene smiled sweetly at me. I returned it, though mine must have seemed shakier. She placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Edward." I started. She'd never called me by my real name. "I'm sorry we've done zis, but I'm glad you understand ze situation."

I smiled, a bit more steady. "Of course, Silvene."

Gravor smiled, too, but his was strained. "I, too, am glad zat you undairstand, Mr. Edison. It is vairy nice to haff to guard somevon who undairstands."

I turned my smile on Gravor. Really, my bodyguards weren't that bad.

Still... they weren't Al.

That's when I made my decision. I would find a way to return to my family... eventually. No matter how long it took, I would find a way.

I had to.

**End of Chapter 1**

**Well. That's finished. Took me long enough...**

**SO HOW WAS IT?!**

**RFF, ma peoples!**

**The word of the day is MALAPROPISM! Don't ask, I already forgot and I'm too lazy to look it up again.**

**Love ya (just lazy)! lulu**


	2. Drawn to Briggs

**CONTINUING!**

**So this is more stuff (no duh Lulu). Read it and scream at the characters' stupidity. . . this is where a lot of the "THAT'S ED YOU MORON!" stuff comes in. Seriously, his disguise isn't THAT good. . . well, except for the tall part. Stilts, people! They work wonders. Especially on midgets.**

**Ed: WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO MINUSCULE AN ATOM WOULD ENCOMPASS HIM EVEN IF HE GREW TO BE A MILLION TIMES HIS OWN HEIGHT AND WIDTH, YOU PROTON-SIZED PERSON!**

**Me: WHO ARE YOU CALLING PROTON-SIZED, YOU WORLD FAMOUS DWARF!**

**Ed: WHO ARE YOU CALLING-**

**Me: *snaps***

**Ed: *disappears***

**Me: Good, he's gone.**

**Heh. . . I'm short, too. DX**

**OH MY TRUTH I looked up synonyms for midget, and the word "homunculus" was right there! HA! Rich! So the word homunculi means midgets! TAKE THAT, ENVY! YOU'RE A HYPOCRITE! Always calling Ed a midget. . . WELL YOU'RE A HOMUNCULUS, AND THAT MEANS MIDGET!**

**That was cleansing.**

**Now, for the ****Disclaimer:**** Fuck off, you damn bastards. It's not mine and you know it. Don't sue me!**

**READ, PEEPS!**

**Roy's POV**

_Where the fuck are you, Fullmetal? We've been searching for months now. Do you know how much everyone is worried? We found your clothes. I swear, if you're dead, I will kill you. I'll find a way. You idiot, your brother is going insane with missing you. We all are. Hell, even _I _miss you and your shortness._

_Your teacher visited. Gave us hell for losing you, then just broke down, blood spilling from her mouth. She collapsed into her husbands arms. She was crying, you moron. She sees you as her own son. You and Al are like sons to her. How could you put her through this?_

_Winry visited yesterday. Saw your teacher, talked to her for a bit, then came storming up here, complaining about why she hadn't had a call from you and your brother in days. We hadn't told her yet. She was coming for maintenance on your automail. When she heard, she seemed to just. . . wilt. She paled, and her eyes widened, and she looked like she couldn't believe it. She didn't believe it, until Al told her it was true. Al can't cry, but he sounded like he was crying. She believed him. Then she started crying._

_Fullmetal, what are you doing to us?_

_When I find you, I am going to burn you to a crisp. Then I'm going to hand you over to everybody else. We will smother you to death, you dolt._

I closed my journal with a sigh. What was this accomplishing? Nothing. Still, everyone had a journal. We wrote down what we wanted to say to Fullmetal in it. It was foolish, it was stupid, it was a waste of time, but the psychiatrist suggested it. She insisted that we needed to let out our frustration on something other than each other.

When I asked her if I was allowed to burn mine to relieve frustration, she said no.

"Dumb psychiatrist," I muttered, shoving my journal into a drawer with a sigh. "Writing in the journal just lets the paperwork pile up."

I stared at my ever growing pile of of torture without feeling the usual vindictive anger towards it. Oh god, Fullmetal disappearing was making me not hate paperwork...

I worked up my anger at Fullmetal, then directed my eyes at the pile of papers. Now I could almost envision it going up in smoke.

I pondered for a moment whether I could actually get away with burning my paperwork today or not, then decided against risking Riza's wrath today. We were all wound up because of Ed's disappearance. No need to raise tensions by being lazy.

I stretched, feeling my muscles tense and my back crack. The whole team was like this now. This... this wasn't good. We were falling apart and we knew it.

But what was I supposed to do?

My team was spread out all over the country, searching for Ed. And for some reason... they kept on going to Briggs. Each and every one of them had gone to Briggs. They filled out the reports, and none of them had found anything there, but they all went. Even when they knew that the others had already gone, they went.

The first was Havoc.

**Havoc's POV**

Six months. The search had been going on for six months, and there was still no sign of the Boss. But we hadn't even searched a fourth of the country yet!

I didn't know what it was about Briggs that was drawing me. It was cold, it was windy, it was miserable. It was the last place Ed would ever want to be. The last place most sane people would ever want to be, really.

And yet... it drew me, like a magnet. Like something was just waiting for me to find it.

Ed had to be that one thing.

Towns up near Briggs are few and far between. I stopped in at the least frequented towns, searching for a certain blonde boy a few feet shorter than me.

I didn't catch a glimpse of anyone who could possibly be Boss.

In one town, though, there was this fella who just made me think of him. He had long, dark orange hair done in a ponytail. Dark glasses covered his eyes. He was wrapped in heavy furs, and he walked with a limp.

Something in the way his hair moved... something in his gaze... just reminded me of Ed.

But it couldn't be Boss. Ed was a shorty. Besides, this guy had seen me. He spoke to me in gruff but friendly tones. If it really WAS Ed, he would have revealed himself.

Still, when he left, I was almost tempted to follow him.

Shrugging away this odd feeling, I headed back in the direction of the train station. Maybe I'd have more luck down South... away from this infernal cold.

**Riza's POV**

Nine months. How much longer would Edward evade us?

Something about Briggs made it feel like the perfect place for Edward to be hiding. I knew Havoc had already searched, but I couldn't stop myself. It was the opposite of where he'd like to go. He despised the cold; therefore, if he didn't want to be found, that was where he would hide.

I couldn't fathom _why_ he wouldn't want to be found. All I knew was that I had to find him. The questions would come later. Right now, there were people waiting for him to return to them.

When I stopped in Mallory*****, I found that it was a quaint little town, though rather lacking in interesting pastimes.

One man in particular caught my attention. It was his gait, that limp, that made me pause to help him. The hair caught my attention next; the flowing orange tresses a fiery replica of another man's, only done in a ponytail rather than a braid.

And yet I found that he was not the man I sought. He had a deeper voice, a far politer tone, and he was a great deal taller at any rate.

Still... I almost went after him. I almost "accidentally" grabbed his right arm, just to see if I could feel the automail under all those cloaks.

Which was ridiculous, not to mention invasive. It wasn't Edward.

I sighed as I boarded the train to Ingrad******. Maybe I'd have better luck there.

I had to find him. I couldn't let Alphonse suffer like this. He needed his brother back.

We all did.

**Izumi's POV**

My stupid pupil. My idiotic, moronic student. Always making mistakes. Even now he was messing up.

A year, now. Too long for Ed to be gone, away from his brother. Al was right to think that something was wrong.

I couldn't allow myself to fall apart like that again. Especially in front of dogs of the military. I can't have weaknesses.

But those boys were strong, too strong to not be my weak points.

Briggs. Why Briggs, of all places? Not that I couldn't face the challenge, but really? It was too cold for Ed up here.

And yet I still came. I knew that the Flame moron's subordinates had checked it out, but I had to see for myself.

All these small towns were dull. Nothing to do, nothing to fight. At least when I was in the mountains, there were bears to fight and forts to steal from. Even soldiers to get in my way! These places were nothing but boredom in town form. How did these people survive without trying to suffocate themselves in the snow?

It was also rather hard on my system, this harsh weather. I can fight that, but even I can't live forever.

When we reached Mallory, I knew something was different. There was something in the air. The scent of danger. And it originated from the two who seemed to be scanning the station.

One was a petite, slender, lovely girl with silvery blonde hair and beautiful features that were exotically _not_ Amestrian. Another was a thickset man with a forehead like he loved slamming his face into walls. His features, while decidedly not beautiful, were also unfamiliar to Amestris.

Outsiders.

And they appeared to be watching someone...

There! A man. Tall, dressed quite warmly, with long, smooth orange hair in a ponytail and eyes hidden by dark tinted glasses. He walked with a limp and seemed to speak in a deep, scratchy voice.

Still, he was polite to everyone there, and held several evidently friendly conversations with some locals. At one point, he threw back his head and laughed, a deep, booming laugh that caused everyone around him to laugh as well.

Not like Ed at all.

But...

His glasses. Behind his glasses were his eyes. Only Ed and his father had golden eyes anymore- the result of Xerxian heritage.

"Excuse me?" I asked politely.

He turned to me. When he saw me, there was the slightest bit of hesitation before he replied, "Yes?" His voice, roughly elegant and polite, didn't _seem_ very familiar... but Ed was better at this than most people thought.

"I'm sorry, but I was wondering if you would remove your glasses? You remind me of a friend of mine," I said.

"Yeah, that's a good idea!" one man said.

"Yeah, Edric, show us your eyes!" a pretty girl said, fluttering her lashes flirtatiously.

"Fine, fine!" 'Edric' said, laughing that deep, rich laugh. "I'll take the glasses off, if you all would quit nagging me about it!"

He reached up with his left hand... and removed his glasses, revealing closed lids.

When he opened his eyes, they were brown. A dark, deep, rich, chocolaty brown.

A couple of women sighed when his eyes were revealed. Evidently this 'Edric' was quite desirable amongst young women in this town.

I did not sigh. I let my disappointment show for a second, then thanked him and turned around.

Was I mistaken, or were those tears in his eyes?

No, it couldn't have been. The glasses were back on and he was conversing comfortably with his fellow townspeople. Just another boring, dull, useless local. Not Ed. Not even slightly like Ed.

Still... 'Edric.' His name was similar.

And there was that urge to follow him as he left...

As he left, I realized that his two stalkers had disappeared. I hadn't even seen them leave.

I narrowed my eyes. Something was up.

I couldn't stick around, though. Sig was waiting for me at home. Al was waiting for me to report my findings. I even had to tell Mustang and his troop about this. There wasn't time to figure this out.

"I'll be back," I muttered. Then I stepped onto the train and waited to be brought back to Dublith.

**End of Chapter 2**

**. . . ? RFF, peeps. I need REVIEWS!**

***Mallory: I had this word stuck in my head and used it as a town name. Just go with it.**

****Ingrad: . . . I'm not even sure. I just made it up off the top of my head.**

**I liked this chappie. Fun to write (took a long time, though), interesting to think about, and lots of "THAT'S ED YOU MORON!" as promised. Sorry it's shorter than the last one, though. . . DX I TRIED!**

**So tell me what you thought? Good? Bad? Anything at all? Anything in particular? I'll only get better with feedback, whether it's all positive or it's constructive criticism. Send 'em in! I can take it!**

**The word of the day is PROTOTYPE! Hey, a word I know! A good one, too. Look it up if you don't know it, as per usual (is "as per usual" even proper grammar? Well, whatever. Who cares?).**

**Love ya! lulu**


	3. He's Not Gone

**Um. . . more stuff?**

***dodges tomatoes***

**I'M SORRY!**

***dodges oranges***

**REALLY! I'M SERIOUS! I'M ACTUALLY SORRY!**

***pause***

***dodges a banana***

**Okay. I guess I deserved that. Still, really? With the fruit, and the throwing, and the stuff?**

***dodges Oreo***

**. . . Let's just move on, shall we?**

**Disclaimer:**** Not mine, pals. ****_No la mia, mis amigos._**** Spanish. Yeah.**

**Read, please!**

***dodges the farm***

**I SAID I WAS SORRY, OKAY?!**

**Winry**** (Oh dear Lordy, we're all gonna die. . .)**

Ed. . . Ed. . . _Ed_. . .

He's gone. I know he's gone. I can feel it. His absence, his loss. It's tangible, and I know that he'd gone.

It's been months. If he was okay, if he was fine, if he was _alive_, he would come back. He wouldn't just leave us like this. I know he wouldn't. I know him better than that. At least, I thought I did.

But. . . he's too stubborn to just _die_. I do know him well enough to know how damn stubborn he can be, and he wouldn't just give in to death. He wouldn't just leave Central and let his bloodied clothes turn up in the South, or the West, or wherever the hell they showed up, without a fight. Something is missing in this equation.

A threat to his life? No, he wouldn't care if it was someone threatening to hurt him. He'd either beat them up or make them swear to leave his friends alone before beating them to bloody pul-

Oh. _Oh._ _**Oh.**_

So _that's_ what I was missing. I see.

It's a threat to Al, or to me, or to Granny, or even to other defenseless friends of Ed's. That could be it. No, that has to be it. What else could it possibly be?

Now that this has occurred to me, a whole new realm of possibilities open up. He was. . . taken hostage? Yeah! And told that if he didn't cooperate, one of his friends or even his _brother _would be killed! That could be it. . .

Or he was told to fake his own death, and if he tried to reveal that plot, Al would be slaughtered. . . Al, or Granny, or even me. . .

I have to be on guard, then. If I see anyone watching me, it means I'm right. If not. . . well, maybe they were only threatening Al. Al would be enough to get Ed to do pretty much anything, even fake his own death!

If I was wrong, though. . . No. I wasn't wrong. Ed could come back to us. Ed _would_ come back to us. Ed would come back to me. . . and Al, and Granny, and everybody. He would.

If he didn't, I would find him myself and smash his head in with a wrench. Multiple times. Until he wished he was dead.

Then I'd hug the ever-loving crap out of him until he nearly died a second time.

Then I'd hit him with the wrench again. (What can I say? It's therapeutic. Besides, it's Ed. Nothing that hits his head does any damage. Sometimes it seems like his head is harder than his automail!)

I stand up and head into the kitchen, towards the phone. I dial Miss Riza's number.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Hi Miss Riza."

"Winry? Is that you?"

"Yes. Listen, I have a theory. . . about Ed's disappearance."

A pause on the other end of the line. Then, in a sharper tone, "Please continue, Winry."

I was slightly surprised, so I stuttered slightly as I responded. "R-right. Um, I think that if Ed isn't. . . you know. . . dead, the only possibility is that his friends and family are being threatened."

"Really?" I could hear the shadow of doubt in Miss Riza's voice.

"Yes. A threat on his life wouldn't do much, but threaten his friends and Ed turns into someone completely different. You must know how far he'd go to protect Al."

". . . Of course. Everyone at headquarters knows. Scratch that, most of the country- ah. I see."

"Exactly." I took a deep breath. "Everyone in the country has heard of the Elric brothers. They know how fiercely protective the Fullmetal Alchemist is. Besides that, they know how far he'll go to protect people he's never met. It's not hard to figure out that he'd probably do anything for his friends. And if that meant running away and pretending to be dead-"

"He'd do it." Miss Riza sighed wearily. "It's an excellent theory, and I think you're probably right, but that doesn't get us any closer to finding him."

"Well, maybe just make everyone who knows Ed personally, and who Ed cares about, keep an eye out for suspicious characters. Even you and Mr. Mustang's team. Everyone. Especially Al. I'll keep watch here for Granny and I, and when I go to Rush Valley, I'll stay vigilant. How's that for a plan? If we eliminate the threat to our lives, maybe. . ." I swallowed back tears, choking on my next words. ". . . M-maybe Ed will come b-back."

I could almost see Miss Riza nodding in agreement. "You're right, Winry. I'll inform the Colonel of your insight. Is that all right?"

"Yes, Miss Riza. Thank you."

"It's not a problem. Thank you for sharing this with me." I could hear the hint of a smile in her next words. "Goodbye, Winry."

"Goodbye, Miss Riza."

I hung up the phone and had to grab onto the table to avoid collapsing on my shaking legs. Choked laughter forced it's way out of my throat, sounding twisted and mangled, but musical and melodic to my befuddled brain.

_Maybe. . . Maybe Ed will be able to come home at last._

A smile tugged at the sides of my mouth as I straightened up. On my way out of the room, I glanced at the cork board that Granny had covered in pictures of Ed, Al, and I as children. Three innocent, laughing faces stared back.

With a slight shock, I realized that I hardly recognized them.

Disturbed, I left the room holding my past self and the past selves of my friends and climbed the stairs to my study. I pulled out a certain set of blueprints and got to work. No doubt by the time Ed returned, he'd need new automail.

I'd be ready for him no matter what.

**End of Chapter 3**

**YES! FINALLY! I DID IT AT LAST!**

***random epic moment music and confetti raining down***

***waves hand in elegantly modest gesture of acceptance* Yes, thank you, thank you, I do appreciate that.**

**Random audience member (RAM): *throws rotten cabbage at me***

**Me: *stares in horror at the rotted remains of my favorite veggie* Dead cabbage? That's just cruel!**

**RAM: We're still pissed off at you!**

**Audience: *mumbles agreement***

**Me: *nervous laugh* Well, I did it now! So. . . less pissed off please?**

**Audience: *launches cow at me w/ catapult***

**Me: *dodges cow* Okay, I'm calling a halt to this! That was a Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail reference right there! BLASPHEMY!**

**Audience: *(please read with an awful fake French accent) farts in my general direction***

**Me: . . . Okay, I'm calling the reference cops on you lot.**

**Audience: *launches huge, hollow wooden rabbit at me w/ catapult***

**Me: . . . I have discovered that my quest is hopeless. Oh well. . .**

**The word of the day is ZAIBATSU! It's something Japanese, so don't look at me! Why this is the word of the day on Merriam-Webster, I have no idea. People are strange. Maybe they wanted to establish good relations with their Japanese counterparts? *shrug* Go figure. *snort* Grown-up people, am I right?**

**Love ya! lulu**

**P.S. Sorry for the super long A/N! I had stuff to say to peeps. . . Yeah.**


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